Captain America: Brave New World leaves viewers with several lingering questions. This latest MCU installment, while introducing Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson as the new Captain America, falls short in several key areas, leaving many plot points unresolved and characters underdeveloped.
The Absence of the Hulk: The film directly connects to The Incredible Hulk, yet Bruce Banner's absence is glaring. Given his history with Samuel Sterns (The Leader) and his established role in monitoring global threats, his complete lack of involvement is a significant plot hole.
The Leader's Underwhelming Tactics: The Leader, while possessing immense intellect, demonstrates surprisingly poor strategic planning. His actions seem impulsive rather than the calculated moves expected from a mastermind villain. His surrender at the climax is particularly baffling.
Red Hulk's Inconsistent Power: The film's Red Hulk lacks the cunning and strategic prowess of his comic book counterpart. He’s portrayed as a mindless rage monster, similar to the early Hulk, rather than the intelligent and ruthless adversary he is in the comics.
Inconsistent Weapon Effectiveness: Red Hulk's invulnerability to bullets is contradicted by his vulnerability to Captain America's vibranium blades. This inconsistency raises questions about the relative strengths of different materials within the MCU.
Bucky's Unexpected Political Career: Bucky Barnes' sudden foray into politics feels forced and lacks a clear narrative justification, given his past and personality.
Sidewinder's Unexplained Grudge: Sidewinder's intense personal vendetta against Captain America remains unexplained, leaving a significant plot hole.
Sabra's Underutilized Role: Ruth Bat-Seraph's character, while inspired by the comic book Sabra, feels underdeveloped and ultimately serves little purpose in the overall narrative. Her adaptation from the comics seems arbitrary.
Adamantium's Significance: The introduction of adamantium feels like a plot device rather than a significant addition to the MCU's established lore. Its long-term impact remains unclear.
The Continued Absence of the Avengers: The film hints at the need for a new Avengers team, but fails to meaningfully progress towards its formation, leaving the audience with the same question at the end as at the beginning.
These unresolved questions and underdeveloped aspects leave Captain America: Brave New World feeling less like a satisfying entry in the MCU and more like a stepping stone towards future installments.
